Archive for March, 2012

Mar201215

Through fluid grids and media query adjustments, responsive design enables Web page layouts to adapt to a variety of screen sizes. As more designers embrace this technique, were not only seeing a lot of innovation but the emergence of clear patterns as well. I cataloged what seem to be the most popular of these patterns for adaptable multi-device layouts.

Mar201212

If a picture tells a thousand words, then an animated GIF must be good for a few more. Whether you want to animate your avatar, get involved in a meme, or amuse your friends with a funny photo sequence, an animated GIF is a great way to do it.

We have found — and tried and tested — five free online services that make creating animated GIFs an absolute cinch. With click-to-upload functionality and simple settings to customize your creation, you’ll be a GIF-engineer in no time at all.

Mar201212

As the world gets more and more mobile with each passing day it’s important to realize more of your visitors will be visiting your website on their mobile devices. That’s why within the last year Responsive WordPress themes have become hugely popular. Responsive WordPress themes are ones where the layout expands or contracts to fit the viewers screen no matter if they’re on a 30″ monitor or a tiny 3 inch iPhone screen. If you know your visitors are viewing your site from mobile devices it’s good practice to have a mobile version of your site available or have a responsive theme which will make your site look good even on small handheld mobile devices.

Here’s a comprehensive list of 72 Responsive WordPress themes currently available. I will be keeping this post up to date so please bookmark it. Without further adieu, here they are..

Mar201207

During the dot-com boom of the late 90’s, much ado was made about the many perks offered by companies used to attract developers: ping pong and pool tables, catered lunches, video game rooms, alcohol, sign-on bonuses, and oh yeah, stock options! Today, some of those perks are just running gags, but others have become standard to the modern tech company.

A lot has changed in the past fifteen years, but not the need for good developers. The big companies still offer all the crazy benefits to attract top talent (just think of every story you’ve heard about what it’s like to work at Google), and sometimes they just buy companies to acquire the developers therein.

Mar201207

I realised, giving my answer, that I’ve never written down my objections to Android. Before we get into this, let’s understand that I’m primarily talking about “what’s wrong with Android from the perspective of someone planning a long-term 1:1 deployment in a school”. You can argue that these points don’t matter in the grand scheme of things but these are the things that I choose to care about in my deployments. I ask these questions of every platform.

As I see it, there are several things currently wrong with Android from a deployment perspective.

Mar201207

Apple has received a major Granted Patent that generally relates to establishing financial transaction rules for controlling a subsidiary financial account and, more particularly, to various systems, methods, and electronic devices configured to provide for the establishment of such rules.

Mar201206

Geeks and sports together? It’s a beautiful thing. Well, at least that’s what ESPN is hoping with the announcement of its brand, spanking new Developer Center, which marks the first time that it will open its doors to third-party developers and provide access to its enormous array of editorial content, stats, and other data.

Mar201206

TestFlight Live is a real-time dashboard for iOS apps, sort of like Chartbeat for app data. It shows live engagement, revenue, audience, and stability information on one website. It allows developers to see how their apps are selling, and how well their in-app purchases are doing. It also allows them to see how well their in-app ads are doing, though this isn’t exclusively tied to Burstly at all. It even shows the all-important Revenue Per User RPU.

Mar201205

An update to the Apple iPad is expected to be announced this week, probably with a higher resolution screen, capable of displaying full high-definition video. We may also expect an updated Apple TV, with full high-definition capability. In anticipation, informitv indulges in a little speculation about why this could be another game changing development.